«[Besouro's] first contact with the world of capoeira took place with an old african called Alípio, who was a captive in the Pantaleão Mill. When planting sugarcane, the student heard and learned from the old man the teachings of capoeira. Uncle Alípio was a Babalawo [candomblé priest] and had been a slave when young, a son of a black woman who was brought in a ship from the port of São Jorge da Mina in Dahomey [Benin].»

Abib, 2009

«Mestre Pastinha and his students would put the strap [of caxixi] around the little and the ring finger. He talks about this in his book, and it can be seen on the photographies taken in his Academy.»

Shaffer, 1977

«Rafael I don't know with whom he learned, don't know. I knew him here when he was capoeira mestre. I didn't have much knowledge about him. But later he came here to Pero Vaz [..] He also had his academy in the city. I didn't have integration with him.»

M Waldemar, 1987

«The deceased Traíra was who took care of the roda. I went there, gave my order and went to have a beer. I was made.»

M Waldemar in Abreu, 2003

«That time there was a group [in São Braz]: it was me, Messias [M Messias, born in 1929], Zinho, Genesio, Lao, Tomazinho, Jaime, Chumbinho [..] So we had this group of boys who were all 16, 15-16 years old. And we used to get together on Saturdays and Sundays to do this capoeira. And Léo was the mestre.»

M Gato Preto, 1999

Pages dedicated to the Old Masters of Capoeira. Our idea is to rebuild and present their lives based on photos, videos, audios and historical texts.